The Island County commissioners didn’t award the county’s first project funded by federal stimulus dollars to the lowest bidder because of a technicality of bidding rules.
Instead, Krieg Construction of Oak Harbor, the second-lowest bidder, won the contract to widen Ault Field Road and interconnect two signals lights. They bid $893,301 for the project.
“It’s very, very rare that we don’t award to the lowest bidder,” Public Works Director Bill Oakes said.
Monday morning, Oakes explained to the county commissioners that the lowest bid of $869,525 from Colacurcio Brothers, Inc., of Blaine had to be thrown out as nonresponsive. The bid didn’t include a list of certain subcontractors, which is required for projects with an engineer’s estimate of more than $1 million. Colacurcio was one of two companies that didn’t submit the list.
But Dan Colacurcio attended the meeting and argued that the bid should be awarded to his company because the county didn’t make it clear the subcontractor list was necessary.
“This job was never advertised at over $1 million,” he said. He also suggested that the county is favoring “a local contractor.”
Don Krieg of Krieg Construction said that the bid requirements were clear. He dismissed the idea of favoritism, pointing out that the three commissioners are relatively new.
“I believe most of the board doesn’t know us very well,” he said.
Oakes also said officials at the Federal Highway Administration, the state Department of Transportation and the county prosecutor’s office all agreed that Colacurcio’s bid should be thrown out.
The commissioners then went into a closed-door, executive session to discuss the “potential litigation.” Afterward, they voted unanimously to award the bid to Krieg.
Commissioner Angie Homola said it was a difficult situation and she felt bad for Colacurcio.
“I know how much hard work it is to put together a bid,” she said.
Yet Homola said the addendum to the original request for bids made it clear that the subcontractor list was necessary.
Oakes said the road construction project should begin in a month or so unless it gets tied up in court. Colacurcio may be able to file an injunction and request a judicial review of the bid award.
The purpose of the project is to relieve congestion at the entrance to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. The project will be completely funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
According to Oakes, turn lanes on Ault Field Road, between Goldie and Oak Harbor roads, will be lengthened. Oakes said the project will require construction of a wall to support the widened road.
The roads will remain open during the project, which should take about two months. Delays may occur.
